Looking for Wisdom #3
Submitted by plauer on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 13:14
One should not ever come to think "Now I have become wise." The preacher tells us, "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord." Wisdom has a beginning but no end because we will never become equal to the Wisdom of the Lord. Even after millenia in heaven where we shall know God face to face in Jesus Christ, He will always be the Lord through Whom all things were made.
Leaving a discussion of just how much we will know and understand in paradise we can certainly see that we will know and understand so much less while we are here. So no one on this side of the Resurrection should ever think that they have yet become wise - certainly not until they have stood face to face with Christ who is The Wisdom of God made flesh. That would be the pinnacle of hubris, would it not?
And neither should anyone this side of paradise ever expect to measure their wisdom against that of another person which would be to stand in judgment over another. There is more than enough for us all to do to study and learn from the Word of God while we are here. Every one of us should consider ourselves as nothing more than learners. Oh, we may accept or refute that God in His Word has said this or that. It is good and right that we should test the words of others in this way. And perhaps we will be shown wrong on the basis of God's Word which we did not consider. Or perhaps we will win over another to the Truth which can be found in God's Word. But either way, no one on this side of heaven should claim that their Wisdom tells them one single bit more than the Spirit of God has revealed in His Word. Wisdom is not merely understanding, but it can only be true Wisdom if it can be understood fromo the Word of God. Until we meet The Word of God Made Man face to face, we only have one Word of God that we can draw from and that is the Word revealed by the Spirit through the prophets and the apostles; not a scintilla more.
What I am thinking of behind this particular post is that newly graduated, ordained, and installed Pastor who now falsely believes that he has some wisdom on account of the office entrusted to him (I will not say on account of his office, because the office does not belong to him) which is anything more than that which God has given to all Christians in his Word. The new Pastor has been taught and examined by the Word and that Word has been untrusted to him to be preached and taught, but that is all. He does not, by virtue of the office, have anything more or different than any other Christian who has learned from the Word of God. The new Pastor must still be able to demonstrate the basis for his understanding from the Word and from the Word alone. His position and experience may provide him insights to the Word, but only to help him understand what was there all along.
The other person who is often in danger of violating this truth is the well-seasoned Pastor who may be tempted to believe that he has seen and experienced things which informed his understanding which were not mentioned or made clear in the Word of God. Again, he may have unique insights to the Word, but those are insights to understand what was there, in the Word, all along. He ought to still be able to say, "See, it is here and here and here" so that the hearer can say, "Yes, now I understand what was right in front of my in Scripture all along." The experienced Pastor should never rely upon his own understanding gained from experience apart from the Word of God.
So to be growing in Wisdom there is a start, but no end for us because there is no end for Christ. Consequently, every one should expect to still be learning and growing in Wisdom every time they see Christ in the Word of God. Your experiences in life may turn you back to the Word, but it is not your experience but the Word which gives you insight, understanding, and a growth in Wisdom.
What I am trying to avoid here is the person who would believe or say, as I mentioned at the start of this post: "Now I have become wise." In fact, that would be a very foolish thing to say. Always expect that you will encounter some one who is wiser than yourself or at least has some understanding to contribute to your own, but only as it can be shown from the Word.
Leaving a discussion of just how much we will know and understand in paradise we can certainly see that we will know and understand so much less while we are here. So no one on this side of the Resurrection should ever think that they have yet become wise - certainly not until they have stood face to face with Christ who is The Wisdom of God made flesh. That would be the pinnacle of hubris, would it not?
And neither should anyone this side of paradise ever expect to measure their wisdom against that of another person which would be to stand in judgment over another. There is more than enough for us all to do to study and learn from the Word of God while we are here. Every one of us should consider ourselves as nothing more than learners. Oh, we may accept or refute that God in His Word has said this or that. It is good and right that we should test the words of others in this way. And perhaps we will be shown wrong on the basis of God's Word which we did not consider. Or perhaps we will win over another to the Truth which can be found in God's Word. But either way, no one on this side of heaven should claim that their Wisdom tells them one single bit more than the Spirit of God has revealed in His Word. Wisdom is not merely understanding, but it can only be true Wisdom if it can be understood fromo the Word of God. Until we meet The Word of God Made Man face to face, we only have one Word of God that we can draw from and that is the Word revealed by the Spirit through the prophets and the apostles; not a scintilla more.
What I am thinking of behind this particular post is that newly graduated, ordained, and installed Pastor who now falsely believes that he has some wisdom on account of the office entrusted to him (I will not say on account of his office, because the office does not belong to him) which is anything more than that which God has given to all Christians in his Word. The new Pastor has been taught and examined by the Word and that Word has been untrusted to him to be preached and taught, but that is all. He does not, by virtue of the office, have anything more or different than any other Christian who has learned from the Word of God. The new Pastor must still be able to demonstrate the basis for his understanding from the Word and from the Word alone. His position and experience may provide him insights to the Word, but only to help him understand what was there all along.
The other person who is often in danger of violating this truth is the well-seasoned Pastor who may be tempted to believe that he has seen and experienced things which informed his understanding which were not mentioned or made clear in the Word of God. Again, he may have unique insights to the Word, but those are insights to understand what was there, in the Word, all along. He ought to still be able to say, "See, it is here and here and here" so that the hearer can say, "Yes, now I understand what was right in front of my in Scripture all along." The experienced Pastor should never rely upon his own understanding gained from experience apart from the Word of God.
So to be growing in Wisdom there is a start, but no end for us because there is no end for Christ. Consequently, every one should expect to still be learning and growing in Wisdom every time they see Christ in the Word of God. Your experiences in life may turn you back to the Word, but it is not your experience but the Word which gives you insight, understanding, and a growth in Wisdom.
What I am trying to avoid here is the person who would believe or say, as I mentioned at the start of this post: "Now I have become wise." In fact, that would be a very foolish thing to say. Always expect that you will encounter some one who is wiser than yourself or at least has some understanding to contribute to your own, but only as it can be shown from the Word.